On the recordJuly 20, 2010
I rise today to pay tribute to our dear departed friend and colleague, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia. I have been deeply moved by the words of remembrance we have heard here in the Senate this week and I am honored to have been here today as Senator Byrd has lied in repose on the Senate floor. It is a fitting tribute to the man who, over the course of an astounding tenure of 52 years, came to embody the Senate, its traditions, and its rules. Robert Byrd was born in North Wilkesboro, NC, in 1917. He was valedictorian of Mark Twain High School and, through the course of his life, attended four separate colleges in West Virginia as well as the American University College of Law. In the early days of his career, he was, at one time or another, a grocery clerk, a butcher, and a shipyard welder before beginning his political career in 1946, when he was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates. After 5 years in the West Virginia Legislature, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1952, beginning what would be the longest tenure in the history of the U.S. Congress. Senator Byrd came to the Senate in 1959. He served right up until his death on June 28 of this year. During his time on the Senate, he was known for his skills as a parliamentarian and his knowledge of Senate rules and procedure.
